I got a belated birthday present from a friend last week, Between Friends by Charlotte Lyons. What a wonderful surprise. Charlotte Lyons has made several craft books on different topics. This one is about projects you can share with friends. What about starting a craft group with some good friends or giving away a small hand made gift when you go for a visit or enclosing some fabric in a letter for a dear friend. The book gives alot of creative and great suggestions.

I have done all this, and still do. As a matter of fact, the friend who gave me the book and I have shared so many crafty projects over the years. There really are no limits in what you can do. And as it's said on the cover of the book - in an era when women set aside very little leisure time for themselves, let alone for their friends, Between Friends provides the perfect excuse to invite the girls over.

The great thing about this book is that Charlotte Lyons has collected so many different things you can do, and put them together in a charming and quite whimsical way. Don't start reading the book late in the night. You will never be able to go to bed then untill you have started a new project, phoned a friend to discuss some new yarn you saw in town earlier that day, or written a letter to a pinpal with pictures of some of your latest quilts.

The book will be a favorite of mine for years to come, and I know it will inspire me to make wonderful gifts for and with my friends from all over the world. And a little secret. MY Between Friends has a little handmade bookmark, embroidered with the words"If friends were flowers, I'd pick you" - made special for me by my special sharing friend.

Britt Arnhild Lindland

Charlotte Lyons has a real gift for creating something wonderful out of basic odds and ends. And her newest book, Between Friends, offers inspiration galore. Whether you have friends to share the craft projects with or simply want to escape the daily routine by making something alone this book is a fabulous resource. The instructions are very clear and the projects are cleverly organized by the amount of time they take. A great gift idea too.

A couple of years ago, a friend gave Charlotte Lyons's earlier book "Mothers & Daugters at Home" to my 12-year-old daughter. It was beautiful to look at. She loved it. Wanted to try everything in it. Not me, however. "Oh, no", I thought. "Not another craft book that shows me how richly supplied with time, talent and materials everyone else is."

But I thumbed through it with her......and fell in love. And in the end, although she has now left me far behind in her creative development, Rebecca and I launched several delightful (and successful) projects together.

So when Ms. Lyons's next book came out, I bought it for myself and have continued to purchase it as gifts for others. Like its predecessor, the layout of the book is beautifully coordinated. The narrative and directions are personal, engaging and encouraging. The directions are clear. It is liberally supplied with beautiful photos that convey not only the "made specially for you" look of the projects but also the joyful feel of the process. And tucked in, among all these things, are snippets of warmth, wisdom and inspiration that make this book itself a great gift to all who pick it up.

Rick's book has sails the high sea of DSP books standing out as a classic in my opinion. Rick's excellent down-to-earth teaching style is mirrored in this book with his written explanation of DSP theory . On problem many authors have is breezing over explanation with "clearly", "it can be shown", or "It is left to the reader as an exercise." leaving the student with frustration. Rick takes the time take the reader through numerical exercises in great detail leaving the reader with a sense of accomplishment. One topic that is especially handy is that of band limiting (over sampling) DSP theory with good diagrams. I personally used Rick's book to come up to speed in DSP adaptive disk drive read channel VLSI IC testing techniques with great results. The typical DSP topics are covered (sampling, DFT, filters) without graduate level math. The book does require that you understand calculus (integration, summation, and other typical higher level math skills) but at the level of a college senior.

I ran into a copy of Lyon's text in the library, and on reading a chapter, decided to get my very own copy of this classic! As a student just starting to learn about DSP in electrical engineering, I found myself puzzled by vague explanations of aliasing and basic fundamentals of signals. Very clearly and masterfully, the author describes the key concepts, and unravels the mysteries with great expertise. The struggle and confusion is entirely done away with, and one gets the idea very quickly. I am still reading the book, and my copy is on its way! This book is a gem, and I will add it as a rare treasure to my library of technical books. I hope Lyons will write more books in the various other topics in EE. I'd definitely be very interested in them. In fact, I think I'll add TRW to my list of companies to apply to, when I graduate! Saroj Bon

I had taken a dsp subject during undergraduate course in engineering school. Our lecturer had recommended us a text by Oppenheim et al.- "Signals & Systems", and claimed that the book to be quite informative as introductory text. I don't question that book to be informative, but I doubt it to serve well as an introductory text. For most of us in the class, it definitely doesn't seem to fit as a beginner material, especially we didn't have previous background in signals & systems. If one thinks that, "mathematics" should not meant for understanding an explaination, then most probably he/she would feel difficult to read that book. Same thing go for most of the other signal processing books.

I've passed the dsp exam by gobbling up all the mathematics, but without success in understanding the truths (reasons) behind. Since then, whenever I saw any 'unexplainable' maths to 'explain' a signal process, mostly I would just being frightened away, or even stopped from continue reading it. This certainly couldn't satisfy my desire towards learning new knowledge.

Then, I decided to take a try on this book. Luckily I did. It is indeed the kind of stuff which should be taught in the first place, especially to students (or engineers) who want to learn dsp for the first time, without too much struggling.

This book is understandable, readable, & easy to swallow. Richard Lyons tries avoiding mathematics whenever possible, however if the maths is unavoidable, he will explain it in plain english by giving a "numerical + graphical" example to better visualize it. For example, instead of telling convolution is y(n)=h(k)*x(k), he would further depict the convolution, terms by terms, in the way of y(n) = (1/3) . x(n-2) + (1/3) . x(n-1) + (1/3) . x(n), and putting graphical explaination to aid in better understanding.

If you are looking for a book to start taking off from the land of DSP without prior knowledge on it, no doubt this is one of the best books available. If you are to understand the "reasons" behind dsp in simple way, after learning the maths, like me, this is for sure the first recommendation of all.

After finishing this book, I can't wait to go for other classical books, like the "discrete-time signal processing" by Oppenheim.

***** Wow! Looking at the cover of this new book from Illumination Arts is like standing at the base of a giant tree, tilting your head backward, and looking toward the heavens. The scope is powerful and compelling, and the colors are breath-taking.

This story is told from the perspective of an 800-year-old Douglas fir in the Pacific Rain Forest. The Tree tells of its history and the many things it has seen over its lifetime, as well as the wildlife it has seen and sheltered. Each illustration is so realistic that it feels possible to reach in and touch the rocks or to actually hear the babble of tumbling water, experence the flash of lightning, and tremble at the mighty roar of a bear. Children will also enjoy finding the many tiny surprises hidden within the pictures: A Butterfly, Dragonfly, Spotted Owl, Tree Frog, Mouse, Bald Eagle, Bark Beetle, and many others.

At the end of the story, there is an informative page about the Pacific Rain Forest that impressed me a great deal. After reading that page, I asked several children what country came to mind when they heard the words rain forests. Most of them mentioned Africa and one or two said South America. They envisioned a tropical climate with hot, humid jungles, big broadleaf plants, monkeys, and brightly colored birds. None of them knew that there was such a place as the Pacific Rain Forest right here in the United States. A temperate rain forest that is cool and wet, filled mostly with cone bearing trees, and stretches along the coast from Southern Oregon to the Gulf of Alaska.

I cannot say enough good things about The Tree. I highly recommend it as a book to be treasured and reread for years to come. It entertains the reader while teaching a love for nature's delicate balance and the urgency to act now in order to save our valuable forests from disappearing forever. Read it with a child and enjoy the light in his eyes as he searches its pages for each of the tiny surprises...

This is a very emotional story told by an 800-year-old Douglas fir tree in the Pacific rain forest. The Tree tells of his life in the forest and the wonders that he has experienced over his long lifetime. Lyons lives in the Pacific Northwest, and camps and hikes in the rain forests there. He was inspired by the ancient trees there, and may have been told the story by the Tree itself.

The stunning, full color, two page illustrations are a visual feast. Each illustration is richly detailed with new treasures to be seen each time you look at it.

Over 800 years, the Tree has survived the wind, fire and snow, and seen the wonder of a young owl learning how to fly, the yearly return of the salmon, and the great glaciers melting. He hears bulldozers coming and wonders if it is his time to die...but then children come and circle his trunk and save him from destruction.

Information for parents and teachers about the Pacific rain forest and the story of the Tree are included in the back of the book. A portion of the proceeds of the book will be donated to the Jane Goodall Foundation and the Circle of Life Foundation that fosters conservation and social solutions.

This is a marvelous book to enjoy with children, to be treasured and read again and again, and to inspire children to fully appreciate the wonders of nature.

While recuperating from a back injury, Dana Lyons sat and played his guitar at the base of an ancient Douglas fir tree in the Pacific Northwest. Toward the end of his four-day rest, a strange thing happened: As Lyons puts it, gA fully formed song came flowing through me.h After playing the song for a local native tribal chief, the chief said he recognized the tune and explained how in his tradition each tree has its own song. The
Tree presents the song of that giant fir.

Thirty-two gorgeously illustrated 8.5-by-11-inch pages house the story. Each doublefold spread vibrantly depicts the Olympic Rain Forest in all its glory. Replete with spotted owls, timber wolves, blacktail deer, and one very scary grizzly bear, illustrator David Danioth puts readers smack dab in the middle of the forest with his spectacular artwork of airbrush, colored-pencil, and gouache depictions. In the story, bulldozers invade the forest, and the 800-year-old fir ponders its fate. Peaceful action ultimately saves the day when people encircle the trunk to prevent the treefs demise.

A beautiful book for children or adults of any age, The Tree boasts forewords by environmental activist and author Julia Butterfly Hill (who spent more than two years living in an ancient redwood) and renowned folk singer and songwriter Pete Seeger. A portion of the profits from the bookfs sale go to Hillfs Circle of Light Foundation and to the Jane Goodall Institute. The Tree sports an eye-catching cover illustration that gives a taste of the beauty to be found inside. The book will be a welcome addition to the childrenfs or environmental sections of your shop.

Karen and With Love From Karen written by Marie Kililea are in my opinion both masterpieces on mans ability to overcome physical and emotional disabilities in a positive manner. I read "Karen" and "With Love from Karen" when I was young and wasn't able to appreciate at that time the true value of these books. The humor and kindness of the Kililea family was very apparent even at the first glance. I enjoyed them all the same at that time and recently picked them up again to reread. The literary style and content is superb. The quality is unsurpassed by many books written on handicaps because it gives a feeling of hope and determination rather than a feeling of "the poor child" to the readers. I would recommend this book to people of all ages, with or without disabilities because its a good lesson in appreciating the gifts of God that we receive daily.

It's a pity that we don't know what happens with Karen as she goes through her adult life since readers feel that they know her at a personal level by the time they finish the books. I was also disappointed to see that "With Love from Karen" is out of print!

This is a wonderful book for readers of all ages. I first read this book when I found it on the booshelf of a house we were renting for the summer. It is a sweet story and as you read it you will fall in love with Karen and all the Killileas. It is amazing as you look at the time that Big Marie and Jimmy put into helping Karen become self-sufficient. The story of Karen's birht is amazing also. KAren was born at 6 months 2 days weighing 1 lb. 12 oz. She spent the first 8 months of her life in the hospital, she was unable to gian sufficient weight because of an esaphagus problem. Weighing barely 8 lbs. The doctors risked everything and preformed surgery, completely fixing the problem. THen two days later Karene becomes so sick with the flu that she is put on critical. Miraculously a risky blood transfusion saved her again. Everyone should read this classic story of the Killilea family.

I too, like the other reviewers read this book and With Love from Karen as a child thirty years ago. I have since reread it countless times and it never fails to inspire and move me. I cannot wait for my children to be old enough to read it as well. Isn't it such a moving tribute to the Killilea family that so many people so many years from its first publication are still so touched by this story. Wouldn't it be great for the family to be able to continue this chapter for us. I truly hope that they are happy and healthy. I just wish I knew what happened to them. I contacted United Cerebal Palsy and no one has heard of Marie or Karen which I think is a disgrace since they blazed the trail for education and support for so many families.

Excellent historical novel,ages 10 up, about The Lost Colony of Roanoke Island abandoned in 1587, who disappeared without a trace. What happened to them? Author, Stainer, answers this 400-year-old question mark in American colonial history with an intriguing possibility, that they joined the friendly Croatoan Indians on their nearby island. An accurate, fast-paced account told through the eyes of 14-year-old Jessabel Archarde. Middle school readers will be swept up in the fascinating story of these brave colonists who were in the New World 33 years before the Pilgrims. A must read!

"'I will take care of you," he says quietly. 'This..I promise...For does not the Great Spirit love us both?' It's then that I know I'll be safe....for surely I believe, in my heart of hearts, that what he has spoken is true." Or as so the Lyon's Roar says. This excellent work of historical fiction captivates its readers almost instantly with a likeable character Jessabel Archade. Jess, a 14 year old girl makes the history of the ill-fated colony come to life. Jess witnesses some of the horrible grieves, such as the lost of the only other girl child in the colony, besides little baby Virginia Dare. She witnesses other historic moments. You must read this book. I can't wait to read the other books that will complete the saga. As I said READ IT!

As a Social Studies teacher, I'm always concerned with getting my poor readers to want to read more about history. This is the perfect book, and the series promises even more.The mystery of the Lost Colony is an intriguing one and I find my students turning pages and devouring the story. A remarkable accomplishment! I would recommend all the books to any teacher who wishes to motivate his or her students.

The book Dear Ellen Bee by Mary E Lyons and Muriel M Branch is a great book. You can't leave the fifth grade wihout reading this book. Dear Ellen Bee is a book about two union spies named Miss Bet and Liza.Liza is a freed slave and wants to be an artist,but Miss Bet wants Liza to be a teacher so therefore Liza and Miss Bet argue alot. If you like the civil war you'll really like this book. I hope you'll read it!

Hi I am in the fifth grade and I read Dear Ellen Bee. It is a civil war scrapbook and there is a girl named Liza. She is black and her teacher is white her name is Miss Bet. Their two Union spies and they are the main characters in this story. Miss Bet wants Liza to be a teacher, but Liza wants to be an artist, Liza goes to college for a teacher. Well that's all I can tell you or it will spoil the book for you. I hope you read it.HAVE FUN!!!

Hi I am a 5th grade student. I am going to tell you about the book that I read called Dear Ellen Bee. I liked the book because it is about a little girl named Liza and a teacher named Miss Bet. In the book it talks about two union spies. If you read this book you wuold think it is worth 5 stars. Well I think it is worth 5 stars. I think you would like to read this book. Me and my group made a poster and gave it 5 stars. It was realy FUN to read this book!!!

As a literary agent, I endorse this book and recommend it to my clients who are working on nonfiction book proposals because, in my view, it is the most thorough and clear book on the subject. A number of the titles listed on E. Lyon's website are books I represented and sold. They were developed following these guidelines. It is one thing to tell a writer to develop "a great hook" or "write a strong concept statement" and quite another to actually explain what these things are and why they are needed. It is important for the writer to understand the purpose of each piece of a proposal and how it will be used by the agent and editor to grasp why the approaches explained in this book are so valuable. Beyond having a strong salable subject and good writing skills (or a good co-author or ghostwriter), in today's publishing world even smaller publishers want to see a solid marketing plan and publicity ideas. Elizabeth provides guidance to develop one. There are quite a few books on this subject offering a broad range of expertise, but this one is the best. As someone else pointed out, the errors in the previous edition were the responsibility of the original small press-- a reminder that many things like title and cover design and certainly page layouts are not left up to the author! Natasha Kern

If you are interested in receiving an advance or contract before you write your nonfiction book, then Elizabeth Lyon's Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write is a bookshelf-must you will treasure! Lyon has demystified the process of writing proposals in simple How-Why-What steps. An editor, writing instructor, and "book doctor" she wrote this best-seller after observing her students and clients struggle to understand the basic steps of proposals. Her book is organized in order of reader need, packed with practical and easy-to-use information and interwoven with examples of proposals. Peppered with chapter goals, it will keep you in writer's mode until your book is assembled, polished and ready to market. The recipe in this book gives you the tools to be taken seriously by the publishing world. "Elizabeth Lyon knows proposals the way a surgeon knows anatomy" best-selling author Gary Provost. "You helped me create a tightly written, well-organized, and great-looking book proposal from concept statement to appendix" Bill Buzenborg V.P. of National Public Radio's Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

Of the several books available on how to write nonfiction book proposals, this one is the most comprehensive. Some of the areas it covers particularly well are the importance of credentials and presentation. However, it provides solid information in all the important areas. It takes more time to read this book than the others on the topic but the time is well spent. Editors and agents are always impressed by book proposals that are informative, succinct, and well prepared and following the guidelines in this book will help you prepare an impressive proposal. Prospective writers often ask me to recommend books on writing book proposals and there are several that I recommend depending on the writer's temperament. I am always encouraged when writers select this one because the level of commitment usually reflects a quality proposal.

Note: Beginning in December 2002, the book is published by a new publisher. The proofing issues that inadvertently slipped through the cracks with the second edition have been corrected( e.g., chapter 14 is now included in the table of contents).

This is a comprehensive guide to leadership coaching. It's a review of many authors' previous work or ideas so it has appeal
for the seasoned coach although I did not find much new material. It is probably better for 'new to the field' coaches who want to know a lot of information in one source. The chapters are short and easy to read. For seasoned coaches it is helpful to pick and choose. I especially liked Nancy Adler's chapter on Coaching Global Executives: Women Succeeding in a World Beyond Here. She ended with a good reason for executives to chose coaching.

While attending Linkage's Knowledge Management Conference,I heard Marshall Goldsmith speak about some of the executives he has coached, and was intrigued by his money-back guarantee: if the coworkers of the executive being coached aren't satisfied with results, then Marshall doesn't get paid!

How many consultants can make that offer?

At any rate, Goldsmith has edited (and contributed chapters) to "Coaching for Leadership" along with Laurence Lyons and Alyssa Freas. Coaching high-impact, ambitious, hard-driving executives is not quite the same process as coaching under-performing employees, so this book probably has a smaller audience than say, "Coaching for Dummies". However, executive coaching is all about moving individuals into behaviors that sustain business, and there is lots of useful information for the coaches of non-leaders. There is also a very interesting (and very short) chapter on, "Coaching from Below" by Deepak (Dick) Sethi. Most of us could probably use that information!

I became curious about "Executive Coaching" after reading an article in Forbes Magazine last year. The article showed astounding salaries (some of these coaches make as much money in a day as many of us make in a year) and major companies (General Electric, Sony, Johnson & Johnson, Ernst & Hewlett-Packard) using "executive coaches".

Well this book tells you what these "executive coaches" do and I found it fascinating!

It has been a while since this reviewer tried her hand at the Science Fiction genre, and it is a welcome journey. Domhan books (Irish for universe), is based in the U.S., UK and Ireland. Its mission is to give new writers a voice; experienced authors a new outlet; to bring books to market sooner; keep them in print longer; to break down barriers in genres; and to offer affordable books. They use the latest digital technologies and produce their books in both a paper and electronic format on a global basis. Burn is Texan Jonathan Lyons' first book.

It is twenty-first century New York. John Cage is an ex-cop whose lost his job and his future wife when he ran up against the mighty Expedite Corporation, the foremost computer corporation in the world. Science has eaten its own tail. The skies are filled with acid rain; and humans coexist with androids, Morlocks, binaries, and other assorted chip fanatics. The entire world is on the "net," StellarNet that is...and it functions as "Big Brother."

Cage is approached by Janice Gild, whose brother died in a singularly horrific way...by human combustion. When Cage investigates Gild'sapartment looking for clues, he sees someone watching him through the window:

"Moving around to the far side of the bed, Cage found himself looking absently through the greasy smear of the rain on the man's bedroom window, outinto the drizzle, into the darkness of the night, into -- into a window in abuilding across the street, to a backlit, overcoat-clad figure who's just realized Cagehad spotted him. The figure put something down -- a camera? Small telescope?--and disappeared."

Scientific science fiction must now be subdivided, to include the category of computer-geek science fiction. Burn is a horrifying look at what over-computerization, coupled with unleashed corporate pursuits, can do to our world. As Lyons so aptly conveys in Burn, if science andcomputers are not kept in check we could be left with a world with no beauty, no wood, and no humanity left. It is interesting to note that Lyons can't help but give his androids human characteristics...a la"Star Trek: Next Generation." Burn is a powerful computer/technologicalscience fiction thriller that leaves room for us to grieve for lost humanity. Great first effort!

Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer

After reading Burn, a book billed as science fiction noir, written by Jonathan Lyons, I had to reread the author bio at the beginning to be sure that this really is his first novel. With a strong narrative voice and fascinating story, Lyons writes like an old pro and as anyone who reads or writes science fiction will tell you, that's no small accomplishment for this genre. Burn is a good old fashioned, hardboiled detective novel set in a dreary future New York. Cage is a private eye on the downside of his luck and life. He's a former police officer who was discharged and humiliated for pushing too far on a case controlled by the most powerful entity in America, Expedite Corp. Expedite and the men who run it bear an eerie resemblance to a current corporate superpower (hint: think Gates) and can make or break not only other companies but the private lives of everyone in the country. The setting of the novel is very Blade Runner-esque, with perpetual darkness and a never-ending drizzle of acid rain. The streets are run by organized gangs of net savvy punks who are smarter than your average hack and more deadly than a pack of trained ninjas. It's a depressing, dangerous place to live, to say the least. Enter Janice Gild, the grieving sister of James Gild, an accomplished techno wizard who was found mysteriously burned to death in his apartment. It appears to be a case of spontaneous combustion, though Cage isn't quite ready to buy into that theory. Cage searches for answers, only to come up with other apparently unlinked cases of spontaneous combustion. Jonny Cache, a former pleasure robot who was rebuilt into a free thinking cyber babe, is on a similar case that will eventually lead to their teaming up with one another. Together, they must find the common thread between all of the victims and come face to face with the most powerful force in the world, Expedite. This novel has it all. A great setting, intrigue, sex, fights, hover cars, bad cops and paranoid net pirates. Lyons paints a wonderful image of this future reality and really knows his stuff when it comes to the technological aspect of a population linked to a cyber world. Jonny Cache is a character deserving of her own series of books. She's beautiful, super smart and can kick some serious tail. Her friends and partners, Yin and Yang-Angelique, lovers who have united themselves in body, mind and spirit with the help of future technology and genetics, are some of the strangest, most memorable characters I've ever come across. Burn is that rare combination of great science fiction and bare bones private dick suspense. This was a surprisingly great read and I look forward to more from Mr. Lyons. I also want to take a moment to praise the aesthetic quality of the hardcover edition of the book itself. Domhan Books, a small publishing company, has created a quality product. In fact, I'm going to their web-site to discover some more new voices in the writing field.

In post-environmental-apocalyptic Old New York City, acidic rains fall in a surreal dirty near-night landscape. In a world where the environment has shifted following corporate brutal abuses intent upon profit, citizens don filter masks and non-reactive coats as a matter of course. NewSchool Grrls, Nouveau Gothics and rogue-boyz populate bars like the Nine Circles, where chip rental outpaces consumption of alcohol, allowing patrons to experience the highs and lows of drugs without the aftereffects.

Cage had once been a career cop with a wife, a good partner and a retirement plan with Expedite Corporation, the corporate sponsors of Old New York's police force. Then he challenged Expedite Corporation and lost his job, his wife and his future in the same day. Now he ekes out a living as a private detective. Janice Gild arrives in Cage's office, hiring him to investigate the death of her brother James. The police attribute the case to spontaneous human combustion and have dropped the investigation. Soon Cage learns that James is not the only person to die this way.

Jonny Cache, a beautiful android, is a netrunner of unique talent, able to slip past any security system undetected. Once she delivers information to those who hire her skills, Jonny burns the information from her memory to the tune of "Ring of Fire," recorded by her namesake in an almost forgotten sunlit era. Jonny achieved sentience because of James Gild. She wants answers to his death. She will begin to find those answers in an online virtual world run by paranormal enthusiasts that leads to a real world meeting with Cage. Together they will attempt to find answers without arousing the attention of Expedite Corporation or the police force it funds.

Debut novelist Jonathan Lyons juxtaposes a frightening futuristic landscape with a hero in the tradition of the 30's private investigator. A corporation runs the world, destroying the environment for profit and funding law enforcement. Despite this bleak landscape, these characters thrive, creating their own unique niches in a world gone wrong, merging their humanity with technology seamlessly. Fans of technoir or cyberpunk will find BURN to be a highly entertaining read, with richly developed characters, and a fast paced plot. Readers will be disappointed to reach the conclusion and left hoping for more! A stunning narrative with haunting possibilities, BURN has earned the WordWeaving Award of Excellence.

"To receive and offer unconditional love, we must become undefended and unconditional lovers" write authors and visionaries Jett Psaris and Marlena Lyons. How to achieve the trust, intimacy and strength to drop one's defenses and "...resurface from our protected hiding place and come into direct contact with ourselves and our partners" is the vital subject of Undefended Love.

Here is the means to recognize the complex ways we protect ourselves emotionally, and the tools to expand, not limit our ability to know and love one another. Utilizing a deep understanding of relationships, and case studies of many couples in transition, the authors map the way to success. We learn, "When we try to relate to our partners with our multiple layers of protective padding in place, it is as if we are trying to hug them through ten layers of overcoats. Our outer layers may meet, but our longing to be deeply connected remains unfulfilled."

When we shed these mantles of protection we become more capable of being nonreactive, openhearted and loving in our relationships. Authors Psaris and Lyons show us how to do this by eliminating the preoccupations we substitute for relationships, determining what it is we really want, and dissolving our defenses.

Undefended Love teaches us that, "Instead of trying to maintain a sense of harmony by limiting who we are, we embrace our partners as intimate allies." What a splendid goal because it leads to the discovery that we are all one vast, loving, universal heart. In this reviewer's opinion, Undefended Love is the roadmap to that goal, and the transformation to become whole!

Undefended Love is by far one of the most insightful explanations of our human condition. The concepts are expressed clearly and in a manner that invites the reader to participate in the process of self discovery. While many of the ideas may be familiar to those who have read self help books or books about relationships, this book makes it possible to begin a personal and meaningful journey to embracing your true self. We shouldn't try to fulfill our needs through someone else,but rather find within ourselves the ability to satisfy our own needs with the magic that resides in all of us. Psaris and Lyons challenge our beliefs and guide us to an understanding that painful feelings are clues to our core identity and should be investigated not avoided if we intend to deepen our relationship with ourselves and others. They broaden our thinking by explaining that we all implement behavioral strategies to avoid uncomfortable or painful feelings in thr belief that it is necessary to cover up our vulnerabilities. We mistakenly describe a successful relationship as one in which we get all our needs met, but this is both myth and mistake. We must look to deepen our basic appreciation of ourself in order to connect intimately with someone else.

The book is unusual in that the authors provide us with the questions we need to ask in order to begin to uncover our own truths. They provide us with a road map that helps the reader to manuever successfully through the obstacles we all use to protect the image that we have created for others to see because we are either lack the courage to show our true selves or we don't know who we really are. If you believe in love, then this is a must read! I loved this book so much that I bought 7 copies over the last 4 months to give to friends and my therapist!!

I have been a couples therapist for more than twenty years, and have never felt satisfied with the efficacy of existing approaches. In my clinical opinion, the Undefended Love model is the most exciting development in the field. I have never seen such a sensitive, compelling, respectful process. What Jett Psaris and Marlena Lyons have done in less than 200 pages is present a comprehensive theory of human development, describe the personality as an intricate self-defense structure, and delineate the ways our distorted beliefs about ourselves create identities that hide our vulnerability as we present ourselves to the world and even to those to whom we feel close.

The ways in which these resulting structures prevent us from being able to sustain an intimate bond are discovered by way of a series of questions and processes which lead us to the only source of transformation, ourselves.

Their model addresses human beings on every level, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and regardless of where the individual is in their life, the processes steadily lead the person closer to the undefended self.

Their concepts are original and arresting: essential self, cracked identity, compensatory identity. The simplicity of their techniques for guiding individuals and couples into their internal landscape belies the power that they possess to bring a person to self-discovery and self-responsibility. The arrow is artfully turned from outside to inside, the road to intimacy, first with self, then with the other.

Psaris and Lyons provide the reader with the means to explore themselves and their relationships in a way that gently expands their capacity to create fulfilment. I highly recommend this book to mental health professionals and to anyone interested in the human condition. And, all of this wisdom is wrapped in beautiful language. It is a treasure, and a pleasure to read.

Gerda K.Young, Ph.D.